Incision Care in Children

An incision is a surgical cut that is made through your child’s skin. Most incisions are closed after surgery. Your child’s incision may be closed with stitches (sutures), staples, skin glue, or adhesive strips.

You may need to return to your child’s health care provider to have sutures or staples removed. This may occur several days to several weeks after your child’s surgery. The incision needs to be cared for properly to prevent infection.

How to care for your child’s incision

Incision care

• Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about how to take care of your child’s incision. Make sure you:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you change the bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Change the dressing as told by your child’s health care provider.
  • Leave sutures, skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to stay in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do not remove adhesive strips completely unless your child’s health care provider tells you to do that.
• Check your child’s incision area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
  • More redness, swelling, or pain.
  • More fluid or blood.
  • Warmth.
  • Pus or a bad smell.
• Ask your child’s health care provider how to clean the incision. This may include:
  • Using mild soap and water.
  • Using a clean towel to pat the incision dry after cleaning it.
  • Applying a cream or ointment. Do this only as told by your child’s health care provider.
  • Covering the incision with a clean dressing.
• Ask your child’s health care provider when you can leave the incision uncovered.
• Do not let your child take baths, swim, or use a hot tub until your child’s health care provider approves. Ask your child’s health care provider if your child can take showers. Your child may only be allowed to take sponge baths for bathing.

Medicines

• If your child was prescribed an antibiotic medicine, cream, or ointment, give or apply the antibiotic as told by your child’s health care provider. Do not stop giving or applying the antibiotic even if your child’s condition improves.
• Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your child’s health care provider.

General instructions

• Have your child limit movement around the incision to improve healing.
  • Your child may need to avoid lifting, straining, or sports for the first month, or for as long as told by your child’s health care provider.
  • Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about letting your child return to his or her normal activities.
  • Ask your child’s health care provider what activities are safe for your child.
• Protect your child’s incision from the sun when your child is outside for the first 6 months, or for as long as told by your child’s health care provider. Apply sunscreen around your child’s scar or cover it up.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your child’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your child has more redness, swelling, or pain around the incision.
• Your child has more fluid or blood coming from the incision.
• Your child’s incision feels warm to the touch.
• Your child has pus or a bad smell coming from the incision.
• Your child has a fever or shaking chills.
• Your child is nauseous or he or she vomits.
• Your child is dizzy.
• Your child’s sutures or staples come undone.

Get help right away if:

• Your child has a red streak coming from his or her incision.
• Your child’s incision bleeds through the dressing and the bleeding does not stop with gentle pressure.
• The edges of your child’s incision open up and separate.
• Your child who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.
• Your child has a rash.
• Your child is confused.
• Your child has severe pain.
• Your child faints.
• Your child has trouble breathing and has a fast heartbeat.